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Godhra Committee gets 3 months more

     New Delhi: Union Cabinet today gave another three- month extension to the UC Banerjee Committee, which was set up by the UPA government to probe into the Godhra train fire. The Committee had earlier been given three-months extension after its tenure came to an end on January 31. "The extension period will enable the high level committee to complete its complex investigations and finalise its report", said Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram after a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had appointed the committee headed by the retired Supreme Court Judge after the UPA government came to power in New Delhi. In its interim report submitted to the Railway Ministry on January 17, the high-level committee had said that it was an "accidental fire" and ruled out the possibility of any inflammable liquid thrown from outside the coach. "With the elimination of the 'petrol theory', 'miscreant activity theory' as well as the ruling out of any possibility of 'electrical fire', the fire in S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express can at this stage be ascribed as an 'accidental fire'," the Committee had said.

Hurriyat, JKLF team to Pakistan: New Delhi spikes it (Go To Top)

     Srinagar: As All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front announced the composition of its delegation to visit Pakistan on June 2, New Delhi said it will consider applications only from individuals and they could go only to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. "Our position is that the government as per existing practice will consider applications for individuals to travel by bus from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad," said foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna. In response to Pakistan government's invitation, the Hurriyat has announced a five-member delegation to Pakistan and Pakistan- administered Kashmir on the 'peace bus' bus led by its acting chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Others in the delegation were Peoples Conference leader Bilal Lone, Ittehadul Muslmeen leader Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Muslim League leader Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat and Faizul-ur Qureshi, Hizbul Mujahideen's pointman for talks with the Indian government in 2001. "Our effort would be to meet everybody there and hold talks and see how can we play a positive and important role aimed at resolving the dispute," said Mirwaiz Umar while announcing the composition of his delegation. The JKLF on the other hand announced a team of 17 delegates headed by its chief Yaseen Mallik to Pakistan, while the hardcore Hurriyat faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has not made up his minds. The Centre however, said the Kashmiri leaders could only go to Pakistan-administered Kashmir and not to other parts, as was the understanding with Islamabad during the April 17 talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf. "The government also has a clear understanding with Paksitan that passengers travelling on this bus can travel only within the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and travel beyond the territory will not be in keeping with the understanding of the two countries," said Sarna. Geelani, who has been opposed to the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, has turned down the invitation to take the bus to Pakistan. The hawkish pro-Pakistani leader holds the bus as part of an "agenda of the Indian government to sidestep the main issue of Kashmir." Geelani however, is expected to announce his decision after a meeting of the executive working committee of his outfit, Tahrik- e-Hurriyat. Sources close to Geelani, however, said he may skip the invitation unless he allowed to talk "our mind" in Pakistan- administered Kashmir and other areas of Pakistan and hold discussions with all political parties and leaders there.

Girls outshine boys in Class X CBSE results (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: It's again the girl power shining on top in CBSE class X results after the results for three remaining regions - Delhi, Guwahati and Allahabad - were declared today. The overall pass percentage in the country is 74.6 per cent and Chennai region has scored the best pass percentage of 90.74 per cent. The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya group of schools outshined all others with a pass percentage of 90.8 per cent. Girls pass percentage is 75.2 while among boys, 74.1 have passed. On Tuesday, results of the Ajmer, Chennai and Chandigarh regions had been announced. Three days ago the Class XII CBSE results were declared. 6,05,477 students had appeared in the examination. CBSE Chairman Ashok Ganguly told reporters here that the overall pass percentage has improved by 2.38 per cent. While the success rate in 2004 was 72.22 per cent, it has improved to 74.60 per cent this year.

Delhi HC criticises Centre on Jama Masjid ownership (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Centre today came under severe criticism from the Delhi High Court for not taking a clear stand on the ownership of the Jama Masjid. The Court also took strong exception to the fact that the government has not declared it a protected monument even as it funds its maintenance. The Court has observed that records, documents and the 1970 Government notification have showed the Delhi Wakf Board as the owner of the Jama Masjid but the files produced by the Centre before the Court did not mention that the Masjid has been under the control of the Wakf. "Only in the file produced by the Centre we find no mention of the Wakf Board. Though in the notification issued by the Government on April 16, 1970, it is shown that Wakf Board is the competent authority to maintain the property," said a Bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice S K Kaul. The Delhi High Court had earlier asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to explain why it did not declare the 355-year old, historic Jama Masjid here a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The Bench had asked ASI to file an affidavit detailing its response on the masjid built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in 1650. The Court today repeatedly asked Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra as to who is the owner of the property and if the Government is not the owner how it was funding for its repair and renovation. "It is the duty of the Government to see that rightful owner is made to see the maintenance of historical monument", commented the Bench angrily when the ASG said "God is the owner of the property".

CSIR gets deemed university status (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The University Grants Commission today in principle granted deemed university status to the Council of Scienctific and Industrial Research (CSIR). "The UGC in principle has granted deemed university status to CSIR which, with a large number of laboratories and field trial centres, would give a tremendous boost to research based education in all fields except atomic research," Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said. CSIR is the world's largest public funded research organisation. It would have to complete the requirements prescribed by the Commission to get the status formally. The Council boasts of a countrywide network of 38 laboratories and 80 field centres and is a pioneer in the filed of fundamental and applied Research and Development projects all across the country. It also has several success stories in the country's march to new heights in the field of science and technology.

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